It is illegal for her and her spouse to convert to Christianity in Iran, where they did so years ago.
Anyone could detain them at any time.
The Iranian constitution recognizes a few minorities in terms of religion. While Assyrian and Armenian Christians are free to practice their faith, they are not permitted to share their beliefs with other Iranians or even welcome them into their churches.
Individuals who converted from Islam to Christianity are limited to practicing their faith in covert settings, known as “house churches.” One of them is Tina.
Churchgoers need to exercise particular vigilance because authorities have been conducting more raids against these gatherings, making more arrests, and giving harsher prison sentences.
“We meet in small groups and each time in different places,” adds Tina. “It may occur in one of our members’ houses, in a park, or while operating a vehicle. To ensure that no group is held accountable in the event of a disaster, it is safer if each group has as little knowledge as possible about the others.”
It’s difficult to live in fear of being caught and put in jail, she claims. Her kids have occasionally revealed that their parents are Christians to friends or at school.
